Electric welding of long seams



J. F. LAWSON ELECTRIC WELDING 0F LONG SEAIS July 17, 1923.

Filed June 7. 1924 Patented July 17, v192s.

JOHN F. riawsou, organooxwn, NEW Yoax.

ELECTRIC WELDING LONG SEAMS Application filed June}, 1924. Serial Nb. 718,434.

- -My invention relates to electric resistance Welding of long seams, and particularly to the manufacture of pipes by that method. In the manufacture of pipes, a strip of metal 6 of suitable width is formed or folded into pipe shape, with a uniform motion, edges abutting each other, between two roller electrodes which pass an alternatmg current 10 across the butt seam. Pressure is applied lay another or other rollers to complete the wel 'ing when the seam edges havebeen heated by the current; As this Welding has been done heretofore, it has been the usual practice to adjust and correlate the three factors of amount of current, speed of tube travel, and amount of 'pressureput on the heated seam, until a satisfactory weld is 0btained,and it has been found that the weld tends to become intermittent in ch racter as the speed of the pipe is increased, he seam edges being welded or joined only at spots which are more or less completely separated by unwelded spaces. The same efle'ct is observed at lower speeds when the current is reduced below the value usually employed for makin a continuous uninterrupted weld.

lVIy present invention adds to these three features another or others asherein'aftcr explained, whereby the more perfect joining of the seam. edges is obtained at the higher is more speeds, and satisfactory weldin er speeds readily accomplished. at the hig than heretofore. The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically a mechanism suited for my invention. Fig. 1 is a side machine;

Fig-f2 is a plan View of the major portion of Fig. 1-, illustrating particularly the seam in the region of the electrodes; and

Fig.3 is a sectional and dia ammatic elevation showing the.relation o therelectrodes to the pipe, and theelectrical connections.

Referring to the drawings: The formed or rolled up tube 1 is passed between the roller electrodes 2- in the direction of the arrows and with the seam held substantially midelevation of the welding 5o and 3. Substantially underneath the electrodes-is a pressure r0114, whichof itself or cooperating with g edges of the seam of the pipe-together and causes them to-weld as they are heated by the between the electrodes 2,

current flowing and then is passed lengthwise. and with the seam way between th rolls as shown in Figs. 2

the electrodes 2, brings theand hence across the seam. Both the electrodes and the pressure roll are grooved toreceive the pipe and together confine it throughout substantially its entire circum-' ference in the customary manner and as is also shown in the drawings. .The invention is not limited to a single pressure roll however as will be apparent. customarily, I so place this pressure roll that the plane of its axis is between and A; of an inch to the rear of the vertical plane of the axes of the electrode rolls. By to the rear I am referiing to the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1; an outgoing length of pipe leaves the electrode rolls before it leaves the pressure roll. The electrodes 2 being rollers, each engages only a short length of the tube at any instant, and hence the current entersand leaves the tube through a relatively short length of the tube. The terminals of the secondary or low voltage winding 7 of the welding transformer (located on or adjacent the machine) areconnected to the electrode rolls in the customary manner and as is indicated in Fig. 3. The secondary winding 7 and its connections to the electrodes ought to be as short as possible and the construction through which the current is passed from the stationary structure to the rotating electrodes should be suchsthat theelectrical losses are minimized. Various "suitable constructions to the end indicated are known tothe electrical art. For convenience further, it is desirable that some means be at hand for readily adjusting the value or amount of current sent through the tube seam; this is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 3 by the taps leading from different points of the primary winding 8 of the welding transformer and by the switch arm 9,'by means of which the incoming electrical supply lines 10 may be connected across the whole of the primary winding or only a suitable part of it.' It is also important that the electrical connections and the source or sources of electrical supply be such that there is no undue change in the voltage im ressed'on the primary winding 8 duringt e welding operationthe start ing and stopping of otherweldi-ng machines taliing their electrical supply from the same source or sources of current is particularly likely to cause. bothersome voltage changes unless each machine has its own lines to connect its transformer f78 to the customary high-capacity outside transformer, or other precautions are taken, It will be understood that the various rollers described may be adjustably mounted for Convenience of I v from the tube radially or are adjustable both vertically 'and horizontally in known manner.

" Accordin to my invention, I not only cor relate to eac other the three factors of current, speed of tube travel, and pressure on the seam until a vsatisfactory weld is obfrequenc of cycles per second, while Ezssing In '15 to 16 and the Welding is at-some distance in advance ofthe.

tained,'as heretofore, but to these I add such acorrelation of the machine parts and pressure on the seam; current volume, and current distribution lengthwise of the seam, as

to produce the following resultsz'The point 15 at which the seam edges are normally brought together (as the tube progresses through the machine) is so close to the vertical plane containing the electrode axes (indicated at 16in Fig. 2) that the metal at 15 is heated to incandescencei on the other hand the point 15 is sofar removed from- 16 that each point, or small area' on the tube seam is traversed by a small number of current impulses, say five at the commercial.

16 and continues up to and possibly r a shortdistance beyond the point 16,

and is there completed, so that each welded area of the seam is heated and welded progressively and by means of a number of suc cessive' current impulses. The distance at which the seam edges are 'normallybrought '-rolls with respe t?) ether may be fixed for example by a suita ct to further advanced feed or forming rolls ('notshown), or with re- 'spect tothe form in which the unwelded tube is presented" to, 'the welding electrodes, as

' ,will be understood by those skilled in the art. Preferablyhtiwever, I add an internal roll 17- to raise=lthe seam edges slightly and space thei'n' a more or less fixed distance contact 1 5;the roll 17 may be supported for apart somewhat in advance ofthe point of example byan internal bar 18'reaching into thet'ube from a suitable support which may be the frame of the mill which forms the-an inches outside diameter, I customarily place,

welded tube 11 By way of example, for pipe of about-18 and 20 gauge, /3 inch to.2

; the roller 17in the neighborhood of 4 to 4% "I inhea 'ahe'ad of the plane 16, and fix the of normal seam contact at about advance of 16; at a tube P d '1' minute and a- 'cur- 1 sixty-cycles per second ntheftube seam, is traversed I nem'aaa 'scribed,'I- We found this e 'setting and adjustment of the machine cycls ttii "miiirtmua be understoo "."however that it is diflicult, if

not impossible, to hold the point of initial contactof the tube ed absolutely fixed" in position by means-of any s with other kind of ap aratus. With a paratus" 'as-de out at times,

' stance to flash for short periods,=' from the normal distance of half an inch'zin'a'dvance of the -point 16 to as much as one and onehalf inchesin advance of 16', due apparently to irregularities on the edges of the seam metal and unavoidable{irregularities in the unwelded tube as presented to the welding machine. As herein referred to however, the point 15 is the point where the seam edges are normally or usually brought into contacts; from which point they thereafter re-' main in contact.

To produce incandescence at the oint 15-, it is apparent that the current pat where is crosses the seam, must be spread out well inadvance. of the point or plane 16; that contact with the tube, measured lengthwise is to say, the great volume of the current of the seam, unlessthey bear heavily on i the tube; thistends to restrict the current path to a narrow band near 16; It is desirable therefore that the current be made to' enter and leave the tube at points remote: from. the seam, so that by being made to travel a long path it may be given an opportunity to spread out and its path be wide where it crosses the seam. This might be accomplished by using thin electrode rollers contacting with the tube only at some distance from the seam. I have not found it.

convenient to use such narrow electrodes (wh1ch also have some d1sadvantage's,;such

as that they tend to overheat and burn" the tube where they contact with the latter) for it is necessary that some pressure be'exerted on the ,tube close to the seam to cause the? edges to engage with each other, and the electrodes are especially suited for this work.

Compromising these opposingfactors, I

preferabl large ang e t'oeach other \(customarily ninety set the electrodes at a relatively degrees as shown-in Figure 3), and I make them of such thickness that each spans a'; rather wideare on the tube surface.

. y this means the center of pressure of each electrode onthe tube may be'brought to a a point as far as forty-five degrees awayfrom the seam, except as the position of the center of pressure is modified by the pressure ofthe toe of' the electrode pressing on the tube edges to close the seam. While current will pass between each wide electrode and the fiive impulses or tube at every point where they are in contact 11 it will pass in greatest volume wherever the 'pressure is The centers of current entry therefore, or

roller 4 are'called upon the imaginary points on the opposite sides of the seam between which the current will seem to flow, are by the means indicated made quite remote from the seam, and the path of the current at the seam is thus made correspondingly broad. Further, to the same end, I may extend each electrode below the forty-five degree point somewhat, usually to a point close to the horizontal plane through the tube axis (Fig. 3); that is to say, each electrode may be made to span nearly ninety degrees of the circumference of the tube. This not only causes each electrode to engage with the tube at points most remote from the seam, but more par ticularly it enlarges the area of contact in the neighborhood of the pressure is great, namely, five degrees away from thesame.

points where the at the points forty- A further advantage of a rather wide angular displacement of the electrodes from each other develops when the tube edges are spaced quite wide apart-in the neighborhood of the roller 17, and also when the electrodes and to reduce the diammaterially during the welding operation: In both of these cases the toe of each roller electrode, i. e. the edge of the roller engaging the tube close to the seam, is caused to be in engagement with the tube for a considerable distance in advance of the point 16, thus providing a wide path for the current in advance of this point even through the path of a short one. Therefore,

eter of the tube both when the electrodes shown in the draw- 1 ing bear only lightly on the tube and when they are required to bear heavily, they cause the current to fiow across the seam wall in advance of the point- 16. It may be noted that extending the electrodes for down on the tube, that is to say, near plane passing through the tube axis, tends to enlarge the portion of the current supply which passes around the tube on the side opposite the seam and which therefore performs no'useful work. i This may be reduced again however by causing the pinch of the pressure roll or rolls 4: to relieve the pressure of the tube against the heel' of the electrodes ,somewhat and minlmize the distance, lengthwise of the tube, over which the heel of the electrode remains in contact with the tube.

Provision being made to 'cause the tube edges to be brought into first engagement normally or usually at point 15, and to cause the current to cross the seam throughout the whole length of scam from 16 to a point near or quite at 15, a suitable adjustment of the current (e. g. b the conveniently placed switch 9) causes t e point 15 to be heated to incandescence and the welding to begin.

say half way between 15 and 16, or even the closing of the seam edges,

the metal at this point;

even greater strength to the horizontal further in advance, and to continue up to and slightly beyond 16 and there be completed, as may be determined by careful visual observation of the travelling scam in this region. A characteristic of the process is (unless measures are taken to suppress it) the existence of an arc just in advance of i, e. immediately in advance of the point 15. This seems to be the result of ionization within the crevice caused by the incandscence of possibly the well known phenomenon of horn gaps also has some effectin throwing this are into the space where the seam edges are not yet in contact. Also there is usually to be seen by careful observation to the rear of 15, from .in the seam, which are also spaced apart a the distance the tube distance equal to half cycle; that is to say,

travels during one the weld may be fining of the edges being at spots onlv. *ach welded spot. is thoroughly welded a whole may have than the original metal, as may be evidenced by expanding the tube until it ruptures. The holes in the however and the seam as more highly heated or an intermittent one,,the

seam are not necessarily or even usually observable on the surface of the tube, and for manyzpurposes, where strength alone is required, such intermittently welded tube is entirely satisfactory. The voids may however be filled with what ap ears to be a nonmetallic substance, or ma" be quite eliminated by careful adjustment of the current and pressure, the. effects then seeming to be that the walls of the holes which are formed originally by the arc at 15 are subsequently crushed together as the holes approach the region. of greatest pressure; the phenomenon seems to correspond to the disappearance of the hot spots previously mentioned as the latter move toward the pressure roll. The

walls of these holes may not only be pressed tightly together so that microscopic examlnation under high magnification shows only thin lines at these places,vbut the metal may be'actually joined at the regions of the holes. As is to be expected, inasmuch as these interruptions, (i. e. the filled or unfilled holes and lines) in the otherwise continuous homogeneous weld, appear to be the'result of the arcing described, a characteristic of this method of welding is that the metal at or around these interruptions, in the finished the holes pass further into the Welding zonedicate tube,- usually bears indications of having been heated'hotter' than the intermediate welded areas; this. is observable by metallurgists under the. microsco e. hen the holes are )ronounced this di erence in temperature rom point to point along the seam' or beyond it, but even in this latter case such temperature difi'erenc'esas there are, are in 'favor of the. greater temperatures having been'in the areas marked by the lines rather than in the areas between successive lines.

Behind. the point where the seamedges are united, theheat area suddenly spreads out as shown by the incandescence alon the T 1 seam line, that isto say, .the point o incandescence alon the seam suddenly grows wider immediate y behind the electrodes '2.

Whereas, forexam le,. along the seam there ma be a nearly w 'te'hot bend about one-' eig thlof an inch wide reaching from 15 to 16; after passing 16 this vband suddenly spreads out and of a duller color it may be. from 3/ ths to. one-half inch wide (in pipe of about the gauge and size before men- -tioned)g The spreading of this color band 'indicat'es,'-I- believe, the approximate position ofthe completion of the weld and may be used as an approximateindicator of the point at which the weld is: completed. This wide band of still intensel'. heated metal may continue for a consi erable distance along the tube unless suppressed, so, great is the amount of heat .u'sd 'togefiect the .-weld, and I find it advisable to. .g'cool the 3 finishedtube .byf runningjwater on" it beginmng'at a pointj'some inches after it leaves .iso

- theweldencan-take advantage of this heating however-{prior 'to quench- "mg withwater 'fortwo purposes, namely, to

remove any burr that"may be thrown out of the seam-and to correct for any overlappingof the edges-that may. have occurred acci-' .dentally or otherwise during the welding process. It is usually theintention that the seam edges be abutted in a. machineof this general type, butespecially where thin gauge metals are to be welded, and especially where the electrode rollers are widely spaced angularl as in the present drawings, difliculty this methodof welding andthe wide band of highly heated metal, which reaches out so far behind the weld, as before described, en ables meto work the metal so. effectively immediately behind the weldingstations, as by I a hammering or rolling mechanism 22 operating. on the' hotmetal, as to return into 11 experienced in maintainin the edges in exact registry. The intense. heating oflong seam by caus' thetube wall any burrs that may be thrown out, and to'correct for a considerable ofiset or overlapping of the 'seam edges, so that even though the seam ed are considerably'ofiset or overlapped inithe welder the tube will leave the mechanism 22 with its wall quite smoothed down and to allintents and purposes as though the edges were orig-v inally welded in exactly abutting register. When using such hammering or rolling de-- vice the stream of quenching water is ap plied to the tube behind the mechanism 22 of course (for example at or somewhatto'therear of the point 23). The nature of the mechanism 22 may be varied as will be ap-- mediately blow-the roller 24 while the side rollers 26 and 27 support the mandrel on'the tube wall. Outside su porting .rollers 28 and 29 support. the tu at points imme diatelyopposite the rollers. 26 and 27.

Another characteristic feature of m invention whentube is made by it at the hlgher ance of any. burr thrown out on the outside of the tube. This burr, which maybe a low one, when seen in plan. view appears 'as a series of distinct, rather sharp pointed, ovals placed end -to end lengthwise of and immediately onthe seam. In number they correspond to the number of current impulses or half vc'cles used iii weldin the seam; Eachova may be split, that 13170- say, there-.maybe1-aline or"crevice in itlengthwise'ofthe sam and dividing it into two halves. The "'metal of each oval is raised above the stir-face the remainder of thetube' as maybeseen byllooking sidewise at the burr; The holes for remainders of the" holes-in the'fsearitoocu'r' beneath the ends 'of'or between the. ovals,.'and on the" outside of the tube the metal aroundor-ove'r each hole ma y l'ipr may not'be pushed'up into a burr.

are offset .or overlapped, the intermittent burrs may not show upas ovals.

Claims:

's burr or succession of-ele- .vatedovalswill not be found of course unless the roller 24 is raised from the tube. If the tube edges are not evenly abuttedfbut .1. The method of electrically welding aan alternating electric current to enter. and 'eave-the workthrough a relatively short length ofthe work and to flow across the seam while the seam is passed lengthwise thro h the current path and pressure is exe'rte on theheated seam ed es to'cause .them to weld; characterized y causing the seam edges to be brought together into current carrying contact so far 111 advance of the point where the weld is completed and by causing the heating current to flow through such a wide path in advance of the point where the weld is completed, that the seam edges are heated to incandescence for a distance in advance of the point where the weld is completed at least equal to the distance the seam travels during the passage of three current imulses across the seam, and the welding is egun at least about the sameidistance in advance of the point of its completion and is carried on progressively up to the point of completion. v 2. The method of electric welding a long seam by causing an alternating electric current to enter and leave the work through a relatively short length of the work and to flow across the seam while the scam is passed lengthwise through the current path and pressure is exerted on the heated seam edges to cause them to weld, characterized by causing the seam edges to be brought together into current carryingcontact so far in ad- Vance of the point where the weld is completed and by causing the heating current to cross the seam in such a wide path in advance of the point where the weld is completed, that the edges are heated to incandescence for a distance in advance of the point where the weld is completed equal to about the distance the seamtravels durin the passage of five current impulses or hal cycles across the seam, and each welded point on the. seam is welded rogressively y the passage of a number of current impulses through the respective point.

3. The method of electric Welding a long sea-m by causing an alternating electric current to enter and leave the work through a relativelyshort length of the 'work and to flow across the seam while the seam is passed lengthwise throu h the current path and pressure is exerte on the heated seam edges to cause them to weld, characterized by causing the seam edges to be brought together intocurrent carrying contact at a point in advance of and separated from the point where the .weldin is completed by a distance at least equal to t 6 distance the seam travels during the passage of five current impulses across the seam, and by causing the heating current to cross the seam in such volume that the metal is heated to incandescence at sa1d point where the seam edges are brought into contact. 1

4. The method of electric welding a long seam by causing an alternatin electric current to flow acres the seam w Ie the seam is passed lengthwise throu flow across the seam while the seam is the current path and pressure is exerte on the heated seam edges to cause them to weld, characterized by causing the seam edges to be brought together into current carrying contact at a point in advance of and se arated :lrom the point where the welding is completed bya distance at least equal to the distance the seam travels during the passage of five current impulses across the seam, and by causing the current to cross the scam in such a wide path inadvance of the point where the weld is completed that the seam edges are heated to incandescence at said point where said edges are brought together and an arc exists in the seam crevice near said point and each welded point on 'theseam is welded progressively by the passage of a number of current impulses through the respective point.

5. The method of electric welding a long seam by causing an alternating current to assed lengthwise through the current pat and pressure is exerted on the heated seam edges to cause them to weld, characterized by causing the seam edges to besbrought together into current carrying contact at a point in advance of the point where the welding is completed a distance equal to the distance. the seamtravels during the passage of at least three current impulses across the seam,

and by causing the current to cross the scam in such volume that the seam edges are heated to incandescence at said point where said edges are brought into contact and an arc exists in the seam crevice near said oint, and a low burr is thrown up consistmg of a series of distinct ovals placed end to end lengthwise of the seam.

6. The method of butt-welding a long seam which consists in a lying welding pressure to a transverse narrow zone of the work to close the seam cleft, appl ing impulsive welding current to cross t e seam, and moving the seam lengthwise through the pressure zone and current zone, all with such rapidity and with bringin the seam edges together at such a point an with such pressure and current density and current welded metal between interruptions.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this float s-pecl Ion JOHN F. LAWSON, 

